Taste Test: Best Macaroni and Cheese

Our taste test results for the best boxed mac and cheese

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An American original, the first macaroni and cheese recipe was published in Mary Randolph's The Virginia House-Wife in 1824 (and legend has it, Thomas Jefferson was a fan). Later, when Kraft introduced a packaged version in 1937 — for 19 cents a box — the quick comfort food became a supper staple. While the price has crept up over the years, most brands of the cheesy pasta are still a great value. This month, we gave 22 volunteers the job of tasting 11 boxed mac and cheese dinners, both white and orange Cheddar, prepared following package directions. Some mixes were deemed bland and pasty; others won over the hearts and palates of our judges. The top boxes:

First Place

Pasta Roni's Shells and White Cheddar ($1.59) creamed the competition in both the texture ("Its sauce is rich and smooth," said one taster) and flavor categories ("This one has authentic cheese taste," said another). Although Pasta Roni took about 10 minutes longer to prepare than others — some competitors' mixes cook up in as little as seven minutes — it was worth the wait.

365 Everyday Value Organic Macaroni and Cheese ($1.29) is, according to our panel, wholly delicious. "It tastes and looks like homemade!" said one participant. The pasta, only available at Whole Foods, is made with organic semolina and the sauce is full of organic Cheddar — it's fast eats, gone fancy.